Flipside Element
by Gina Trujillo
Summary: It all started with a few nightmares. but when things become so real, how do you tell when you're awake or still dreaming?
1. Dreamcatcher

Chapter 1: "Dream Catcher"

_**Author's Notes:**_

Flipside Element was a project I started in 2001, and let me tell you, it's been a long and crazy ride. I never expected a fanfiction to take this long to write. Before, I was reluctant to post it up anywhere but its main website, but due to changes in my life and in my time, I am now releasing it other places. It now has a few small revisions: paragraph breaks, a word here and there taken out, a typo here and there fixed.

If you're just joining us, thank you very much, buckle up, and please enjoy the ride, wherever it may go in the next few years to come. –GiNA--

_**Flipside Element**_

_**Chapter 1: "Dream Catcher"  
by Gina Trujillo **_

Cold, green water. That was what he was seeing through. He was trapped in a tube of green, foul, water-like liquid. He lifted his hand, pressing his fingertips against the glass. Wires and tubes hung off of his arm. He felt along the smooth glass, his whole body weak and shaky.

He wanted out. Wherever the hell he was, he just wanted out. There was something out there, something he had to get to and stop. The frustration was over whelming. He tried to pound on the glass, but his hand only fell weakly against it. He felt as though he was spinning, a strange dizziness overcoming him. The world blurred and spun away.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his gut. Sonic woke to the painful feeling of his little pet Chao, Tripster, deciding that his stomach looked like a trampoline. Tripster jumped up and down on the bed for a moment before Sonic grabbed him under the arms, holding him up in the air. The Chao grinned and waved sheepishly in response.

Sonic sighed and set the Chao down. Tripster quickly ran from the room, chattering in his Chao gibberish. Sonic stared at the ceiling. Just a dream, he told himself. A strange and painfully familiar dream. "What does it all mean?" he asked the ceiling. When no answer came, he got out of bed and started his day.

Sonic sat at the table in his kitchen, resting his head on his hand, thoughts fixed on the reoccurring dreams. He'd been having them for about a month now, and was wondering once more what it all meant. Tripster came bopping into the room and up to Sonic. He looked up, smiled and greeted the hedgehog with a loud, "Bah-ta-bah!"

Sonic smiled at the non-since and picked up the Chao. "Tripster! M'man! Sup?" Tripster continued to 'reply' in his gibberish speech, which cheered Sonic up quickly.

He then glanced up at the clock. It was 11:30. "I'm late!" he zoomed out the door, Tripster clinging to him in alarm.

Sonic speed through the forest, Tripster in tow, headed for a pre-appointed spot: a huge oak tree just outside of the village. His friends were already waiting there for him.

"Sorry I'm late," Sonic said, "I overslept..."

"We figured," Princess Sally said, hugging him, "Happy Birthday, anyway, lazy." She winked at him, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

As most parties do, it didn't seem to last long enough. The day flew by. As the sun was getting low in the sky, there was a rustle in the trees overhead. All eyes turned upward. A tall, well-muscled man dropped down through the branches above. He landed in a crouch position, then stood, his red dread-locks falling about his shoulders. Unexpectedly, Knuckles had shown up.

Sonic walked over to shake his hand, "Hey, man! I can't believe you came."

Knuckles fixed him with a serious look, "No time for hello's, Sonic. There's some major trouble!"

"Trouble? What's up?" Tails asked, walking up.

Before anything else was said, Tripster came scrambling up behind Sonic. He took a flying leap up onto his back, screaming a Chao like battle cry. "Whhaaaaa! Ta-baaaaaa!" The Chao slammed his little hands against the back of Sonic's neck, right at the base of his head. The blow hit with a force unbelievable for such a tiny creature. Time seemed to freeze. The quiet, soft voice of a little boy whispered, "Come back to us, Sonic."

Time lurched back into motion. A sharp pain shot through Sonic's head. In an instant it had spread to the rest of his body. It felt like something was trying to rip him apart from inside. He didn't remember screaming, but he did, and loudly at that. He fell to his knees, gripping his sides.

"Sonic?" Tails knelt beside him, "What's wrong?" Sonic tried to answer, but no words would come to him.

Tripster clung to Sonic's back, his eyes shut tightly. Sally ran over and grabbed the Chao, trying to pull him off, but Tripster just clung on tighter.

A deep ringing sound spun about Sonic's mind. The world started to blur, he felt like he was spinning. When he tried to look up at his friends, everything was too hard to focus on. He closed his eyes tightly as the world continued to reel about.

The concerned voices of his friends reached his ears, becoming more and more distant. Then other voices joined in, ones he didn't recognize. Finally, his friend's voices were gone altogether, replaced with those of strangers.

"His pulse rate is off the scale."

"He's going into convulsions."

The spinning feeling subsided. Sonic could no longer feel Tripster on his back nor the ground under him. All he felt was the pain, though a bit duller now. That and he felt cold. No, it was more like cold water... Sonic's eyes snapped open and he found himself in a glass tube filled with murky, cold, green, water-like liquid. Sonic stared in disbelief at finding himself back in his dreams. He lifted a hand to the glass, wires and small tubes hanging off his arm. Thin trails of liquid trickled from cracks in some of them and a black substance was leaking out from one that was ripped right in half. Sonic moved his head to look around, forcing his eyes to stay open. He realized he had an oxygen mask covering his mouth.

Suddenly, a spasm shot through him, making him jerk violently to the side and then backward. He tried to stop it, but his body wouldn't obey. Some wires were yanked from his body.

"We're loosin' him!" a voice came from outside of the tube.

"Let's get this under control, people."

"We're trying, sir!"

"Every I.V. in him has popped. We can't get anything into him now."

Sonic's body calmed for a moment. He tried to see out of the tube, but all he could make out were sketchy shadows. His body jerked again, against his will, slamming him into the glass.

"How long since his last dose of Stabilizers?"  
"A good 26 hours. The I.V. popped before it could give them to him, but the computers failed to alert us of the problem."

"Chaos levels are at 85 and climbing! He's out of control!"

"He's gonna break loose!"

"Calm down, you idiots! Get this matter under control, or Malajik will have our heads!"

Suddenly, a battle cry sounded and an explosion echoed through the unseen room beyond the tube. The sounds of a struggle followed. With great effort, Sonic lifted his head. He saw the silhouette of two baby-sized hands on the glass in front of his face. Sonic struggled to lift his hands, which did not want to follow the command. Slowly, painfully, he managed to get control over them, placing his palms on the shadowy hand-prints.

A feeling like electric shock shot through him. He tried to jerk his hands way, but couldn't. His body convulsed again, yet his hands stayed fixed in place on the glass. As he slammed into the glass tube, the oxygen mask fell from his face. He couldn't handle this any more. Water or not, he threw his head back and screamed at the top of his voice.

The scream sounded loud and clear. Sonic felt as though all the liquid was trying to push as far from him as it possibly could. He heard a loud cracking sound, felt the glass under his hands shatter. All the water fell away, replaced by icy air.

A pair of warm little hands pressed against his palms. He tried to open his eyes, but found he couldn't. He felt himself sink to a floor, which he wasn't even sure existed a moment before. There he lay, trying to catch his breath. Pain nagged at his whole body, slowly giving way. He could hear his pulse in his ears, racing faster than ever before.

The same two tiny hands carefully touched his. They were a small comfort at the moment, although he wasn't sure who or what they belonged to. Then there came the sound of soft footsteps. Someone was walking towards him. A strong hand fell on his shoulder.

"Resuki?" the concerned voice of a young man came, "Resuki, can you hear me?"

Sonic forced his eyes open. He looked up to see a red wolf kneeling beside him. Sonic blinked a few times, trying to focus more, as he thought he saw huge, fire colored wings coming out from the man's back. The only thing he could conclude on the matter was that he had died and this was an angel before him.

The wolf smiled slightly, "Rest easy, brother. We've got you." The world went black.


	2. Sector 20

_**Flipside Element**_

_**Chapter 2: "Sector 20"  
By Gina Trujillo **_

"Looks like he's coming to."

"Let's just hope those convulsions didn't damage him too much."

"Bahtabah!" Sonic recognized Tripster's gibberish.

Sonic opened his eyes, gazing up at an unfamiliar, white ceiling. The white walls, white sheets, and very uncomfortable bed lead him to realize he was in a hospital. Something must have happened at his party. Wait. Something had. The dream came back... but no. That wasn't possible.

Two doctors walked up and started to check things on monitors, writing things down on their clipboards, and basically acted as if Sonic wasn't there at all, or at least like he wasn't a person.

"Resuki!" a voice came, static masking it over a speaker.

Sonic turned his head to see who had spoken. There was a long window, which covered the far wall, and on the other side of this window stood the same winged wolf. He held Tripster in his arms like one would hold a baby.

The wolf pushed a button on the wall, turning on a speaker. "How you feeling?" he asked.

"Anyone get the number of that truck that hit me?" Sonic replied a bit absently as he tried to piece things together.

The Wolf laughed lightly, "When did _you_ grow a sense of humor?"

Sonic gave no answer and just stared blankly.

"Hey," the wolf continued after a moment, "I'm really sorry it took so long to come get you. If not for Tripster, we wouldn't have even known where to find you at all."

Tripster grinned like a Cheshire cat.

One of the doctors put an I.V. in Sonic's arm. Sonic winced, but knew better than to jerk away, "Yo! That hurt! Try givin' a guy a little warning?"

The doctor looked utterly confused. "Er, yes, my mistake," he said, going about his business.

Sonic glanced around, "Where am I?"

"You're in Sector 20." The wolf said as the doctors muttered to each other about disorientation and scribbled furiously on their clipboards.

"Okay... and that means...?" Sonic asked.

"Sector 20... you're back at the labs, Resuki." The wolf said.

"Er... right. Uhm. What 'labs' are we talking about? And why are you calling me "Resuki?'"

The wolf blinked sharply. His hand slid away from the speaker button. There was a long silence that followed.


	3. Smoke Filled Black Light Room

_**Flipside Element**_

_**Chapter 3: "Smoke Filled Black Light Room"  
By Gina Trujillo **_

Many miles away, in a well-guarded, top secret laboratory, there was a small room. It held only a couch, a small chair and a coffee table in the way of furnishings. The windowless walls were covered in murals that shone under the single black light bulb as it struggled to illuminate the room and did a piss poor job of it. That was just how the occupant liked things to be.

A young man slowly paced the floor, a copy of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in hand. He read along, his mind totally devoted to the story, as he was easily absorbed in books, especially Shakespeare's works.

There was a hurried knock at the door. "Nightwatcher, it's me," a familiar deep voice said with urgency. A computer like brain quickly identified the voice as belonging to a man known as Chaos. Nightwatcher was about to tell Chaos to come in, when the door was flung open and the room bathed in white light. Nightwatcher threw up an arm to shield his eyes, "Argh! God! Damn it, Chaos! Close the door!" Nightwatcher snapped, his voice marked with the ever so slight twang of a southern accent.

The door was closed. "This is important," Chaos said.

"It'd better be," Nightwatcher muttered, sitting down on the couch. He took a cigarette from the pack that sat on the coffee table, then moved aside piles of books, looking for his lighter.

Chaos frowned, "Do you have to do that? It's-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know... it's bad for my health." He found a Zippo lighter and lit his cigarette. After taking a long drag, he blew out a smoke ring, which shone under the black light as it slowly faded away. "I'll worry about my health, you worry about yours. Now, if you're done playing mother, what's the big deal that had you bustin' in my door?"

Chaos shifted a bit and hesitated before fially saying, "They finally came for Resuki."

"About fucking time!" Nightwatcher thrust a triumphant fist in the air.

"Indeed," Chaos nodded.

There was a long pause, the excitement died down, uncertainty took its place. Nightwatcher took another long drag off the cigarette. "You sure we should go through with this?" the smoke escape his mouth with the question.

"Would you rather sit here, alone, in your little smoke filled black light room and rot for all eternity?" He coughed a bit, the smoke starting to bother him. There was another pause.

Nightwatcher glanced around the room. "I kinda like it here, y'know?" he said rather unconvincingly. "Ya gotta admit, I got the walls lookin' kick ass."

"Yeah." Chaos agreed, equally unconvincing. He muttered under his breath, "and once Malajik sees how you butchered this room..."

Nightwatcher interrupted, not liking it when Chaos took it upon himself to remind him of hims impending doom. "I like this room most of all 'cause it's dark here. Makes me feel safe." He flicked cigarette ashes into an ashtray on the table, then Nightwatcher stood. His anger rose with every he spoke, "Safe. Humph. Is there such a thing? Not here. Not in this place. It's just an illusion. Those bastards! It's all their faults!" He grabbed the chair and sent it crashing into the wall.

Chaos stepped forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly to get his attention. "Stop that! Another outburst and they'll euthanise you."

Nightwatcher glared at him at first, but he had to remind himself that this was a warning, not a threat. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.

Chaos continued, "Your life is on the line here. Truth be told, I'm starting to fear for mine, too."

"But... what if it doesn't work? What if this all backfires, blows up in our faces, y'know?"

"It won't," Chaos hissed desperately, the tightening of his hands on Nightwatcher's shoulders signaling to him that there was the same doubt in the man as he had. "Just trust me on this one," Chaos concluded.

"I am. I'm trusting you with my life on this one." Nightwatcher slid back onto the couch. He took one last drag from the cigarette, then flicked it into the ashtray.

Chaos shook his head, "I still can't believe you smoke those things.

"It's your fault," Nightwatcher retorted, "You're the one who bothers to bring them to me."

"Given," Chaos shrugged in a defeated manner.

Nightwatcher smirked, "What can I say? You're just a sucker, man. Besides, I'm on death row as it is. What've I got to lose?" With that, he took a Discman from the table, put on the headphones, cranked the volume, closed his eyes, and got lost in the sound of Godsmack's 'VooDoo.'

_Author's Note: Want more Flipside Element? The whole story can be found on its home website, which is linked on my front page.  
_

_Why don't I upload it all here, you ask? Because parts of the story contain lyrics, and doesn't allow lyrics in a fan fiction for copyright reasons. So the story would just be deleted if I upload it all here. All of the chapters are on the website, and if I do say so myself, they get better than these first three. Thanks for reading!_


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